JenLab GmbH (Jena, Germany) in cooperation with Femtolasers Produktions GmbH (Vienna, Austria) offers what it calls "the first device for gene manipulation with shortest laser pulses." The femtOgene ultracompact laser microscope is an optical tool for nanobiotechnology, gene therapy and stem cell research, and is suitable for optical gene transfer (delivery of foreign DNA) into cells of interest.
The femtOgene scanning nonlinear microscope features galvoscanners for beam scanning and focusing optics equipped with large-NA objectives (40x/1.3). Multiphoton effects in a sub-femtoliter focal volume induce a transient nanohole in the cellular membrane which allows optical nanoinjection of macromolecules including DNA, RNA, and proteins. The non-invasive gentle creation of a nanoopening without any collateral damage avoids cell death and enables fast self-repairing. Targeted transfection can be performed with high efficiency, the company says.
Based on a sub-20 femtosecond near infrared laser microscope with high-order dispersion compensation, the femtOgene is based on dispersion technology that promises to overcome the problems of beam fluctuations observed in femtosecond laser systems based on prism technology.
The femtOgene was designed to enable:
+ Gene therapy
+ Stem cell manipulation
+ Optical nanoinjection of macromolecules
+ Optical knock-out of cellular organelles
+ Intracellular chromosome dissection
+ High resolution Imaging
The femtOgene won a "Best in show" award at the 2008 Photonics West.
More information:
JenLab's femtOgene